1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus and in particular to method and apparatus for sending an electronic mail (e-mail) attached with image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there have been available facsimile machines that can be connected to the Internet or a local area network (LAN) and have an e-mail sending function to send image data.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. P2000-236413A discloses an Internet facsimile machine that can send e-mail attached with image information to a destination of the e-mail. An operation of this Internet facsimile machine is as follows. First, a user sets a document to be sent on a document reader and then inputs a mail address of a destination. When depressing a start button, the e-mail attached with image data of the document is sent to the destination via the Internet.
However, the above prior art has several disadvantages. First, when the mail address has been erroneously inputted, the e-mail attached with image data is sent to the network, resulting in increased traffic on the network.
Second, if the network is not connected to a mail server, then the e-mail attached with image data roams over the network. Accordingly, the network traffic is further increased and a sender cannot determine whether the mail has reached the destination.
Third, it takes much time for a sender to be informed that sending error has occurred. In the case of the correct domain of the destination mail address but its user name, it is found that the mail address is wrong when the mail has been sent to the mail server. On the other hand, in the case of the wrong domain, the sender realizes the wrong address when the name server has been accessed. Accordingly, the sender is aware of the wrong address after much time has elapsed.